The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-02-02
Portland and Deering Meet in Com
nittee In Battle Array.
The Carriage and Harness Manu-
facturers Enter Their Complaints
Against Convict Labor.
Warden Bean Makes Explanations of
Carriage Manufacture at
the Prison..

Warden Bean Makes Explanations of
Carriage Manufacture at
the Prison.
Special to the Press.
AUGUSTA, Feb. /.
The temperance people increased their fu-
silade of temperance petitions this morning
by an immen Sc screed full fifty feet long.
Hitherto the Good Templars have been the
most prominent in carrying on the lombard
ment. but this morning General Neal Dow's
division got into action in fine style Mr..
Looney presented the big petition He said
it was signed by thousands of people living
In Portland, Brunswick Gorham, Naples,
Raymond. Gray, Milo, Lewiston, Searsport,
Camden, Thomaston,. Bar Harbor and Vas
salboro. They ask for additional ligisla-
ton for the suppression of the liquor traffic.
The temperance people gathered in force
In Representative Hall this evening. There
were Hon. Neal Dow, who came down to
urge an increase of penalties; Chief Templar
M. j. Dow of Brooks; Secretary Brackett
Of Belfast; G. A. Farwell of Pittsfield, and
L. W. Gowen of Freedom. Several ladies
OF the W0man's Christian Temperance I'm
ion were present with Mrs. Stevens. The
Good Templars came to urge the bills which
cider bill they presented in new form.
mo cider shall be sold in this State for tip
pling purposes, or to be drank as a bever-
arge."
Captain Horace H. Burbank of Saco, said
they had law enough in York county if it
was enforced, and they were enforcing it
pretty well. He would have few changes.
For instance, he would have the five gallon"
clause of the cider law stricken out and put
cider on the same basis as rum or beer.
rsln 49,. e T.
bee, followed with several suggestions. some
OF which seemed to please General Dow.
Among other things he thought that the law
turning seized liquors over to the State
Agent ought to be repealed
Representative James s. Wright of Paris,
made a very sensible speech, taking the
| ground that it would be best to back up the
| present law with well educated public SEN
| timent.
The much talked of twenty day clause is
stricken out and provision is inserted that
cider can be SOLD by the barrel ito be made
into vinegar and for culinary purposes, and
then only to persons over 81 years of age,
and not of known Incorporate habits" This
bill the Good Templars supported and their
representatives spoke in favor of it tonight.
General Neal Dow followed the Good
Templars with one of his most sarcastic and
| entertaining speeches. He spoke in general
| Of the terrible evils of the rum traffic, but
| did not forget to state specific ex-
amples as seen in Portland. He favored
| the Good Templars' bill, but thought
the penalties ought to be doubled or
| quadrupled right through. Speaking of the
need of these penalties he said: "We have
about 130 grog sshops in the city of Port
| land. We know them, there is Sullivan and
| Cady and Pat McGlinchy. We know them,
the wolves, and we can smoke them out if
| you will give us law enough. But there is
not law enough now. Irving to shut up the
rum shops now with this law is ike trying
laying floor with awatchmaker's ham
mer; tap, tap, tap, that's all. There are 20
| arrests week for drunkenness in Portland
now. This is a terrible number. The effec-
] tive enforcement of the liquor law began in
/ Portland In June, 1875. We have had four
| deputy sheriffs excepting. the .jast two or
| been their business to look after the rum
shops. What good has it done? None.
| Ihere are as many rum shops now in Port
land as there were in 1875. Why is this
Can 1t be stopped? Yes. 1t is just as easy
as as to turn your hand over if you. will make
the penalties severe enough. Make it un-
| comfortable and improbable for the rumsel-
lers and they will disappear. Take away
the discretion of the court, for that is always
| on the side of the rumseller. Yet General
Dow admitted that the back of the rum pow
er had been broken and that he was no
longer mobbed for making his fight againt
| rum.
County Attorney Seiders was called in by
| buC CUulltllbbtt W answer some questions.
When asked whether the law of imprison-
ment for the first case of drunkenness was
| of aid to the prosecuting attorney, Mr.
Seiders said that it had been great expense
to the county, and in but one case had he
| been able to secure conviction through a
his liquor to save going to jail
When asked whether it would be better il
no discretion should be left to the judge in
the case OF the first offence in rum selling
Mr.. Seiders replied that he had always helC
that the liquor law should be enforced al
any other law In the enforcement of othel
| laws it is often wisest to suspend the en-
forcement of law. Mr. Seiders believed
that the same held good in the case of the
enforcement of the liquor law Mr.. Seiders
said that under the present law, for selling
three glasses of cider enough actions coul(
be brought against a man to make him pay
fines aggregating $500 and imprison him 8
months. The best way of putting down th'
rum traffic in Portland. Mr.. Seiders thinks
Is to enforce thoroughly the present law
Such an enforcement must be backed b,
public opinion
The Cape and Her Enemies.
Cape Elizabeth woke the Senate up thi
morning with long memorial protestin
against any legislation that will nullify tb
decision Of the courts in regard to the ferr
landing. The bill to repeal the law of 1877;
which allows the county commissioners 0
Cumberland county to lay out way int
tide waters, is having some tribulations.
the House it was referred to the Cumberlan
county delegation, but when it came to til
Senate that body non-cOncurred and referre
it to the judiciary committee. The House
| will have to agree on reference before til
bill can journey on its course. The CAP
people are looking right after their interest
and have their lawyers Oil the ground all th
time. Fred I'll. Hartford, Esq, has campe
here for the war.
The Railroads..
There is not likely to be any general fgl
over the request of the Megantic railroad th;
it be allowed to change its location near IL
foot of Moosehead Lake. The propose
change will not really affect the Bangor
! Piscataquis, so Bangor as a city is not like
I | to,pitch in. A few individuals, howeve
J may show fight. But there is one thing tn
Bangor is going to fight for, tooth and ma
and that is the repeal of the clause of Il
Monson railroad charter, that allows Il
/. construction of a line from Monson to Il
foot of the lake. That would be, they sa
=. a parallel line to the Piscataquis road, al
exc eedingly harmful to it and to Bango
But that portion of the charter allowing Il
. extension of the Monson road southwark
Wellington, whence there is connection wi
4 | Pittsfeld and the Maine Central, the Ba
. gor people do not propose to touch. II
hearing comes next week and will be war
. one.
!, Major Dickey's questions to the Supren
Court inquiring whether the general law I
:" ferred to in the constitution is sufficient
organize railroad corporations. and if S
whether the Legislature has the power
grant charters Of railroads, still slumb
with the committee ON railroads. Maj
Dickey says he knows one lawyer in Kenn
+ bee county who now is ready to begin sui
J. against three of these roads that, rely
4 Legislative charters for their franchises i
d stead of on location under the general la
u 1t is doubtful if the questions ever get to t